Lortmil Mountains
This page may be a Stub or not include some information. For a full article on the topic with citations, please see ' ' at Greyhawkonline.com. The Lortmils, although a lesser range than the Crystal Peaks and the Griffs, are still an impressive range. Absent are the widespread volcanoes of the Hellfurnaces and the massive glaciers of the Griffs, for the Lortmils are much older than any of these ranges. Description The Lortmils do not contain any known active volcanoes, although there are signs of past volcanic activity, as well as several sources of subterranean heat within the depths of the mountains. To a casual observer, the entire chain seems to have arisen through the slow, patient forces of nature, rather than the sudden and cataclysmic forms such as those found in the Hellfurnaces, for instance. The Lortmils contain several peaks of significant size, although these are the exception and are rare enough to have been named by the early Flan inhabitants. Most of the higher peaks are within the northwestern end of the chain. Among these peaks are Abharclamh (elev. 13,200) located near the descent of the mountains into the Lorridges. Treunsgian (elev. 11,400) located along the southern borders of Veluna and nearby Leistaugh (elev. 10,600). Several other peaks within the Celene highlands reach above 7,000 feet, but those are exceptions as the Lortmils descend into Ulek. History The Hateful Wars between 498 and 510 CY was aptly named, as it was nothing less than an attempt to exterminate the humanoids of the Lortmils, once and forever. As such, it was a failure, as it only resulted in the humanoids escaping and re-grouping in the Pomarj. Each of the lands around the Lortmils claims the leadership role during the war, and each graciously acknowledges the limited role played by the others. Truth be told, no one race or land held the predominant role. Although the dwarves in their citadels had planned this war of extinction since the first stone of the first stronghold was cut and placed, they did not have the force of numbers to drive out the humanoids, even with the assistance of the gnomes. Realizing this, they turned to the humans of the lowlands, breaking their long isolation. Even the elves of Celene were contacted, although the meetings were frosty and often in danger of falling apart due to racial tensions. The dwarves were confident of an easy victory - they had spent patient centuries mapping passages in the deeper mines, and were the most familiar with the locations of the goblinoid citadels. However, when fighting finally began in 498, the dwarves found that their maps constantly led them into traps and ambushes. There are also rumors that during the years of battles, magical forces of unknown origin constantly deflected or distracted those of the elves. Humanoid warbands would appear as if out of thin air to strike unlikely targets in the lower elevations, and vanish before a retaliatory force arrived. Elven and human wizards attempting to scry the plans of their opponents found they were blocked, or worse, that a false vision would be gained. It was clear that the humanoids had magical assistance far surpassing the ability of their shamans and witch-doctors. Elven chroniclers hypothesize that one of the elder liches of Oerth, such as Lerrek of the Vesve, could have lent assistance to the cause of the humanoids. They discount any possibility of the participation of a goblinoid avatar, as their own Powers would have alerted them of the danger. They also doubt that it was simply a mortal mage, for the sheer intricacy and skill of the defenses encountered. After years of futile effort, the magical onslaughts of the elves finally broke through whatever magical defense had shielded the humanoids, and the rout was on. Citadel after citadel was left populated only by dead goblinoid warriors. The shamans, realizing their imminent defeat, urged a massive break-out attempt to escape the encircling circle of death. Some tribes, as noted by others, attempted to flee into the Yatils and were caught and destroyed. The vast majority of the tribes raced through the tunnels of the southeastern Lortmils, towards the Pomarj. A diversionary force was sent to besiege the city of Jurnre in 506 in hopes that any pursuit would be thrown off of the main body. The tactic worked - enough of the Ulek forces abandoned their positions in the foothills to defend the city that the humanoid army was able to sweep through without serious resistance and overrun the Pomarj. The final chapter has yet to be written on this subject; even now, the latest war leader, Turrosh Mak, has once more forged the tribes into a united force, and the humanoids again have magical support. Items such as the Goblin Shield of the Pomarj are beyond the power of the shamns to construct, yet this is only a sample of the new power flowing into the hands of the humanoids.